Beantown Camp 2010: Laura Glaess & Karen Turman

Testimonials

“Beantown is a wonderful place: Incredible instruction, bands that swing hard, a kind community of dancers and the ocean for a dip after hours of sweating. I always return home feeling completely inspired and rejuvenated.”

“The teachers are fantastic, the music is phenomenal, and the social dancing is wonderful, but my favorite part of the week was mealtimes. It’s special to be able to sit with people of all dance levels and get to know them off of the dance floor. A great opportunity to build community in the lindy hop scene!”

“Dance workshops in the morning & afternoon, fantastic meals throughout the day, fun early evening activities and then Swing dances to great live bands every night (and everything located on a beautiful campus): ideal swing-dance vacation! Been going every year since 2014 and will continue for as long as I’m physically capable.”

“I really love the opportunity to do a full week. Thank you!!” “Beantown is such an amazing event - great bands, great instructors, beautiful campus, lots of other activities to keep us busy. I love it that they have awesome food options. Every. Single. Meal. Seriously, it’s awesome that so many attendees are taken care of.”

“Beantown is a wonderfully fun learning experience! I was too intimidated as a newbie dancer to attend, but after seeing what it’s like, I shouldn’t have been. It’s perfect for all levels!”

“Beantown is one of the rare places where I can fully immerse myself in dance and friends for a week. It’s somehow always exactly what I need. As a dancer. As a person. You can come as you are and Beantown will scoop you right up.”

“I love the atmosphere there. I’m happy to see everybody, and feel welcomed by everybody. It’s a wonderful island of tranquility and goodwill in turbulent times. Oh, and it always improves my dancing.”

“Everything was amazing as always; the bands, the instructors, the food, the venue, the company. Beantown is the perfect place to get away from your daily routine and be immersed in a joyful world of music and dancing. It is always hard to leave that magical world. Looking forward to next year!”

“This is a world class event! From the dining hall staff and the food (daily ice cream floats!), to the bands, the instructors, the organizers, and all the dancers! Beantown is a welcoming place to learn to dance, make new friends, bring the swing community together. The location is amazing, the ocean side campus is relaxing and soothing. It’s a delight to dip your feet into the water when your brain is filled to capacity with syncopations! The worst thing about Beantown is having to leave.”

“Beantown camp is simply amazing. It is the ultimate retreat and vacation for lindy hop dancers!”

Beantown Camp 2018

Thank you for Beantown 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got back to Montreal from Beantown 2010. (Had the Swing tunes and bounce going on in me even through 9 hours of bus ride!). It’s been one of the most joyful and memorable experiences for me!

It was my first time and I loved it, even with sleep deprivation and sore muscles. (OK—next year I get in shape BEFORE!) Lovely campus, marvelous food. (Can you believe I actually lost some weight while eating like a horse! Go figure!)

I really appreciated the calibre of the teachers and their patience with us!

The Tai Chi classes with Richard REALLY helped a lot—helped clear my fuzzy brain for a new day of learning. Hope he can be available more often in the future. The stretching classes were absolutely marvellous too - kept me from becoming a human pretzel!

Applause to the schedulers—yikes! Don’t know how you did it! Superb!

The camp has really kicked my love for, and hopefully skill in, the dance up a notch or two! A thought came to me at one point during the week—it really was/is a privilege to be with, and learn to be a “bearer of joy” through these fun-tastic dances!

Many thanks once again!

Philip Mizener

Montréal, Canada

What a week. Thanks so much to everyone for putting in such long hours to make Beantown such an amazing event! Most definitely worth the investment, says I.

Ed Morales

Ashland, WI

fabulous! fabulous! fabulous!

In a word: fabulous! Thanks for a remarkable week that hit all the right notes. I can’t imagine NOT being at Beantown year after year. I love it that much.

Getting my shizzle broke down and rebuilt even better like the bionic man in the now annual relearn-what-you-thought-you-knew-and-were-good-at-change-your-dancing-for-the-better-awesomeness-that-is-Beantown.

Knowing that the time, effort, and money was once again completely worth it. My 5th year was amazing—can’t wait for the 6th!

Andrew Thigpen

Marietta, GA

I want to thank you for all your efforts in putting together Beantown. This was my first (not that I haven’t tried!!!) and it was worth every penny. Well organized, well paced, quality instructions and a wide range of attendees. Thanks for doing this.

Larry Fava

Winchester, MA

I wanted to let you know that I had the best time at Beantown this year. Everything was just great! The classes were great, my track partners were great, my housing was just fine, the performances were phenomenal, the teaching was SO good!

I’ll definitely be returning next year, for more of the same.

Best Wishes!

Ed Broderick

Wallingford, CT

10. Singing opera for Swing dancers… weird… but cool..

9. Micheal Jagger as a Salsa Instructor.

8. Just Chillin with Norma Miller…

7. A great Soccer game with joel and mikey and davis.

6. Being recognized as “Marshall” from How I met your Mother everywhere I went.

3. Micheal and Evita’s amazing “Shake that Thing” and “singin in the rain” routines.

2. Realizing again how much of a dance infant I am… It’s good to be reminded of your place every now and then.

1. An amazing 21st Birthday week!

Jonathan Tigert

Indianapolis, IN

I just got back to Montreal and I wanted to tell you that I had an absolutely incredible time at Beantown! Special shouts go out to Peter Strom, Sylvia Sykes, Ryan, Eric, and Zack and Maryse (of course) for their classes, which were inspiring and really touched on things in my dancing that I needed to work on! Track 5 was really focused on technical stuff this year, getting moves to feel good rather than introducing new moves, and I’m a firm believer in that…

I was totally thrilled to be dancing to Gordon Webster, and really appreciated how hard he worked to keep us dancing, keep his breaks short, and really play WITH us rather than AT us. All of the evening dances were great, Peter’s Soul Party was especially brilliant and got me out of my pattern box. Definitely a high point of the week!

Overall, you two did an amazing job with the hardest part of event planning: producing an atmosphere. The whole camp felt friendly, relaxed and homey, even when I was freaking out over having three choreographies to dance. It’s a subtle combination of factors that makes that feel right, and not everyone has a knack for it.

Finally, I want to add that Andrew Thigpen’s personality added a ton of positive energy to my experience, he’s the kind of guy you always want at an event: open, easy going, buckets of talent and style… he brings a great energy with him wherever he goes.

I was truly impressed and thrilled with every day of my experience! I had a fabulous time, met lots of wonderful people, and will most definitely do everything I can to make sure I’m there in 2011!

Thank you so much for everything!

Owen Hortop

Montréal, Canada

Just back from another fabulous Beantown Lindy Hop Camp . Lots of great instruction, music, dancing of course, and wonderful folks to share it all with. Now, it’s laundry time……….

Alice Chico

Syracuse, NY

Beantown was such a wonderful time. Thank you Tony and Aurelie! It was an honor to come and be apart of it all. Can’t wait to see what you create for next year!

Mike Roberts

Austin, TX

Thank you so much for yet another fabulous Beantown! Once I catch up on my sleep, I’ll start looking forward to next year. :)

Tara Weinstein

New York, NY

Thank you Tony and Aurelie. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster after having been away from dancing for two years, but well worth the ride. What a gift you guys give the Lindy Hop community.

Melanie Richters

Winnipeg, Canada

Big Thank you to Beantown organizers. It was a total blast and I am hoping to get there next year.

Honora Newell

Monroe, NC

Beantown Camp 2010—Top 10 Good Times

A few reasons why Beantown was so awesome this year:

Feeling like I’m in a House Party movie during the spontaneous soul train and boys vs girls battle at Peter’s Soul Night in the lodge.

The foreshadowing of Hammertime, so you’re ready for it when Hammertime actually happens.

Tap dancing in the show alongside some of my favorite dancers, and witnessing the amazing Jenny Thomas throw it all together on the spot in 10 minutes.

Doing the Big Apple during sound check on the first night and watching Joel rock out with a soccer ball.

Feeling like I’ve been to dance boot camp. It’s been a while since I’ve learned this much dance stuff in a week.

Watching Reid and our other students bust out the Beyonce hand to hand Charleston move in class.

Having the time and opportunity to get to know people and just hang out in between activities.

Eric’s hip hop classes, and watching his class performance.

PB and J sandwich making/ eating contest and Andrew catching an apple in his mouth.

Busting out to the Cangelosi Cards and Gordon Webster as well as Michael Gamble and Mary Freitag’s DJing.

Karen Turman

Santa Barbara, CA

Thanks again for everything, Aurelie & Tony. Yes, it was incredible, absolutely incredible. I’m so glad I couldn’t bear to go home & stayed. It is really absolutely fantastic what you & Tony have put together at Beantown. Really truly incredible and fantastic. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it!

Connie Swan

Boston, MA

Without a doubt—the best Beantown ever.

Maryann Houglet

Newtonville, MA

Thanks for all your hard work for the camp.

Mike Nowak

Tinley Park, IL

My husband and daughter who aren’t from the USA and had never social danced before, let alone Lindy Hopped, said it was wonderful and plan on coming back next year!! Yay!!

Juliet Parry

Lynn, MA

Well, it looks like the end of vacation is here and its back to reality tomorrow. I wanted to let you know that I had a real nice time at Beantown this year. Stayed up very late dancing two or three nights (hit the pillow at around 3:30 PM on one night) and had more fun with the dance this year as a result of my comfort level growing. In the classes, I really felt like I was able to absorb a lot more this time around as a result of having the benefit of a bit more experience.

You guys conduct a very organized event at a beautiful facility, I am sure you know that it is widely appreciated. The vibe there is really cool.

Damian Capobianco

Cambridge, MA

Since this was my first time at Beantown, I wasn’t sure what sort of post camp communication would be forthcoming. I do want to let you know that I thought Beantown was the best camp I’ve ever attended.

Thanks!

Brian Abbott

Montpelier, VT

Michael & Evita’s “Singing In The Rain” at The Show. This is the one memory from Beantown 2010 above all others which I will carry with me.

Ryan & Jenny’s comedic Charleston routine at The Show.

The Lindy Hop Addiction public service announcement skit.

Twelve campers from Minnesota, including four over the top terrific townhouse-mates…. Plus three instructors with strong Minnesota ties.

The wacky wild adventures of the inflatable dinosaur in our townhouse. Still waiting on photos.

Zack & Maryse, both as Balboa instructors and teaching a terrific little routine for our track. Their positive attitude, encouragement, and incredibly friendly demeanor are very much appreciated.

Almost peeing my pants when Sylvia gave me a huge compliment in a Balboa class. Seriously.

Michael & Evita’s “Blues Clues” class. Yummy ochos.

Food. Food. More food. And terrific food at that.

Geeking out with Richard Moffit about photography.

Brent Casavant

Eagan, MN

I can’t thank you guys enough for the FABULOUS time I had at Beantown. It’s my third camp but my first whole shebang and man, going the extra mile and staying was a BLAST. Doing a routine in the track really brings everyone together. Met tons of great people, danced my toes off and learned a lot. Such nice people on all sides: the attendees, the instructors and the college staff.

Many thanks!

Pam Murphy

Siasconset, MA

We had a fabulous time at Beantown this year! Thank you for all your efforts to put together such a well-organized and inspirational event. I know how much work that must take.

Lisa Lutton

New York, NY

Thank You!

Thanks so much for putting on such an amazing event! I loved it! Beantown was the Best vacation I’ve ever had! I can’t wait for next year!

Adriane Reeves

Minneapolis, MN

Cheers to you, and thanks for ALL your HARD WORK for a great BEANTOWN!

Betty Stone

Arlington, MA

Hope you are enjoying the rest of the summer now that camp is over. The Show was a wonderful addition to Beantown, pulling together terrific performances in a much more effective setting than the dance floor. I hope you continue it every year. It’s worth the price of admission.

As always the wonderful instructors are the biggest draw for me. Ryan and Jenny are unsurpassed, of course, but I enjoyed Skye and Naomi’s classes a great deal as well. Michael and Evita just blew me away with their performances and are always among my favorite teachers. Their teaching skills match their performance skills and they are as unpretentious as any instructors I’ve ever worked with.

Thanks for the months of work you and Tony put in to make Beantown such a terrific experience. See you in the fall.

Susan Phillips

Newton, MA

If you’re a dancer and have never been…… You NEED to go. One of the best weeks ever! Plan now!

Rob Nixon

Nashville, TN

Another wonderful camp! It gets better every time. I am always astounded by how smoothly the camp seems to run. My congratulations on another successful year and my thanks for throwing the best dance camp around.

Cindy Shamp (from the NJ contingent)

Clifton, NJ

Thank you for wonderful days, instructors, dancing, meeting last year’s friends, food and a dance with Tony. I am ready to sign up for next year.

Nancy Jordan

South Dartmouth, MA

Thanks again for another wonderful Beantown experience. Michael and I are continually impressed by your energy and your ability to change camp for the better as the Swing scene changes. Again, we enjoyed all the instructors—seasoned as well as lesser-known (at least to us) folks… All four bands were wonderful; we’d travel to hear them again in a heartbeat.

The class schedule, with fewer early morning classes was much appreciated. We also enjoyed the variety and flexibility that the extra tracks—mini as well as one-time offerings allowed.

The Frankie tribute was a gift to all of us. I hope there is always a way to teach the history of Swing during camps and classes.

Thanks again for all you do for the Swing community.

Alice Chico & Michael Stafford-Hill

Syracuse, NY

Beantown is an event that mixes world-class instruction and excellent music with a level of friendliness and accessibility that’s really remarkable. Everyone is welcoming, warm, and the ambiance of camp is laid back. At the same time, there is a love of the dance displayed by all levels of student and instructor, and a commitment to this social art form we love that’s inspiring and energizing. Once anyone (myself included) attends this camp once, it quickly becomes a necessary yearly pilgrimage. As a community and as a class environment, Beantown is unforgettable.

Nicole Zuckerman

Jamaica Plain, MA

I had a great time at camp this year! It was very well organized and planned out… I enjoyed going to the different classes and all of the performances.

Shane Warren

Arlington, VA

Just wanted to Thank You for the wonderful experience I have had this weekend. Everything is amazingly organized, the location and grounds are beautiful and tranquillizing, food is great (so many choices and needs are met). I loved my room, for that is a very special Thank You.

Galina Borinski

Newton, MA

Thank you for a superb camp! I am still trying to catch up on sleep as well. It was SO amazing, truly a special week for many people.

Julie Kuberski

Minneapolis, MN

Thank you Aurelie and Tony for a fantastic week and my vacation! Your efforts are greatly appreciated!

Dan Multer

Branford, CT

I thought that Beantown this year was great, as usual. I loved my track level, the teachers (especially Ryan & Jenny, Sylvia and Skye once again), Richard’s tai chi classes, Jennifer’s stretching classes, Mihai & Andrew’s late night Blues dance, the late night Soul dances… I also liked the options of the Bal, Jazz, Blues and Hip Hop mini tracks.

Anyway I had lots of fun and I will be back next year!

Pam Forman

Providence, RI

Thanks again for all your work pulling off another wonderful year at Beantown. My girls and I were very excited to come and our hopes for a great time were very much fulfilled. It is interesting coming for a second time that there were things that were very much the same and some things that were different. I guess each year has its own special flavor.

You guys get it really really right. It is such a warm, welcoming, friendly time, with great music, dancing, instruction… It attracts a high percentage of really cool folks. Wish we could bring about half of them back to Fort Worth to hang out with us on a regular basis.

As for the teachers—they were all awesome!

On to other things about camp, our accommodations at camp were great. We were pleased about the arrangement at Reynolds Hall. What a lovely old place. As for the food, I asked for gluten free and the chef was so nice. They went out of their way to help with that, providing all kinds of extras like snacks, gluten free noodles and so on.

The social dances were absolutely a blast. Loved the music, the energy, the dance place, the people.

I enjoyed the tribute to Frankie Manning very much. Thanks, Aurelie, for sharing. What a special time that was. I was pleased to have met Frankie in Texas several times as he made it to Lindyfest and to an event in Dallas. He was an incredible person.

Thanks so much for all you did to make it wonderful for us all.

Shirley Martin

Fort Worth, TX

Hey, I had an awesome time at camp! Thanks so much… Looking forward to Beantown 2010!

Catherine Dodd

Charleston, SC

It was my first time at camp and I loved being there. I’m already looking forward to next year. I loved Endicott College and the facility in general. The workshops were great also—good variety, good instructors. I really liked the shoe chroming also… Camp was fabulous and I fully intend to return.

Judy Wallace

Warwick, RI

Outstanding camp again. Thanks for doing what you do.

Ray Lemay

Biddeford, ME

Thanks AGAIN for a fun Beantown, I had fun as always. And like last year I decided at the last minute to attend Beantown and left very glad that I had attended Beantown.

Tom Hagar

Wayland, MA

Camp was great this year… It was a wonderful week, and I will definitely be back. Thanks to you both for all your efforts, and patience with us… All your focus on making the camp so successful is much appreciated.

See you in 2010.

Lynne O'Neil

Ottawa, Canada

I was privileged enough to be able to attend Beantown Camp for the second year this year. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it, and thank you so much for putting it all together!

Again, thanks for all that you do!

Emily Martin

Fort Worth, TX

I wanted to thank you for encouraging me go to the Beantown camp. I felt like it has progressed my dancing and it was a lot fun as well. Your organization of the event was impressive and you help create a very warm and positive atmosphere.

Thanks again for a really nice time.

Damian Capobianco

Bourne, MA

My dancing has gone up several notches since the camp, although I remember very little “specific” moves which has more to do with my memory than with the quality of the teaching. I’m just a better follow which was my goal. I’ve been recommending Beantown Camp to my fellow dancers in TO and I plan to attend next year.

Thank you and see you in 2010.

Autumn Drouin

Ontario, Canada

We had a fantastic time! Thanks so much! :)

Amanda Gruhl

Boston, MA

When I think of what it means to be a traveling Lindy Hop instructor, it is always Beantown that comes to mind. For me it has been the model against which the rest of my teaching career has been measured. Every year, Beantown is one my very favorite places to teach. The people have the right attitude for learning, the setting is always great for classes, and the week-long camp provides enough time to really help people to change their dancing for the better. And on top of it all, you will rarely find a nicer crowd of people.

Peter Strom

Minneapolis, MN

I attended Beantown in 1999 and 2000. Both were pivotal times for my dancing. I spent the week immersed in dancing with amazing other dancers that I had never seen before. I met and worked with dancers from San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Sweden, all with their unique talents and personalities. We danced all day and all night. The combination of having a camp a manageable size like Beantown for a whole week really allowed our classes to band together and forge relationships with each other and the teachers. I’ll never forget our last class with David Dalmo one week. David had put together an incredibly challenging and interesting routine and had us all perform it for one another. There was electricity in the air and by the end of the class, we were spent. Something had happened and my dancing was never the same afterward. If you’ve never experienced this type of thing, I recommend it. It pays off in so many ways.

Andy Reid

Washington, DC

Beantown is such a unique and rare Lindy experience. The environment is so warm and welcoming, that returning to Beantown each year seems like a bit of a family reunion. The instruction is beyond compare, with the top instructors from around the world and the tracked classes that really allow you to bond and progress with your group and the teachers. The college campus setting is comfortable and convenient, and provides a great backdrop for campers to dance or relax at their leisure; with the next dance, class, meal or party being only a few steps away.

Jennifer Coulombe

Winston-Salem, NC

Thank you so much for my second Beantown which was awesome! Food was incredible, teachers were incredible, the campus was incredible, the parties incredible. Thanks again for everything. See you next year!

Erik Fogel

New York, NY

Let me first say thanks for a wonderful weekend (extended) and a job very well done. We were all impressed by the organization and smooth flow of everything, especially given the complexity of the schedules! It was simply a brilliant time for all!

Brad Ferrari

Niles, MI

I had a life changing experience this year. I am so glad I signed up for the whole week. I can’t wait until next year. I enjoyed getting to know Norma, that was a real treat. She’s amazing. The food is plentiful and wonderful! The music is out of this world.

Eliza Alderman

Greenville, SC

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tony and Aurelie! Where else but at Beantown can you get days of instruction by world class dancers, then share a meal with them and join them in the dance at night?! And where else can you have a barbecue in a “tent”—a tent that has a lovely chandelier?!

Dave Samanen

Worcester, MA

I’ve been very happy with everything you offered. Classes were great, I’m always impressed by the highly qualified instructors, new and old. A relaxed barbecue and afterwards was well thought of. For me, the highlight of the week was the Blues night, and the Soul night as well….great great variety to add to the Lindy…Most of all, I truly would love to congratulate you on a job well done. Both of you are great organizers, the camp runs so smoothly, and if there were any glitches, as I’m sure there must be, we the campers are not aware of any! Both of you are around us all the time, tending to every little detail possible and very responsive…Thank you once again….see you next year.

Yildiz Grodowski

Salem, NH

The Beantown experience is a must for anyone who is serious about Lindy.

Lisa Caroselli

Greenbrook, NJ

First of all, this year was my all time favorite camp experience! It was hard to leave! I was pretty much happy with everything—the classes, the teachers, the dances, the group of people there, the food…As usual, I especially loved to see Ryan and Jenny as well as Sylvia…I had a great time and will definitely be back next year…Thanks for a great time!

Pam Forman

Providence, RI

My wife and I had an awesome time at Beantown. It was our first time and it exceeded our expectations in terms of the quality of the teaching, evening dances, cafeteria food and overall organization. We were bummed when it was time to leave. (We booked the long weekend package). I hope we can make it to Beantown 2009.

John Markowitz

Ossining, NY

I had a wonderful time, loved the location and hope to return next year. It was great to focus solely on dancing where my only worry was whether I was getting the steps right…The instructors were terrific and classes enjoyable with lots of laughs all around. I enjoyed the shows, practicing the dance routine, dancing every night and loved (loved!) the fabulous soul party. It was great to hear those tunes again and boogie to the mellow sounds of Motown. And before I forget, the Blues Party was fun too. Keep them both.

Finally, my sincere thanks to both of you for your hard work and planning. It was obvious that a lot of Herculean effort went into making the week’s events as smooth and seamless as possible. I know for a fact that the more seamless things appear, the more hard work was done on the front end…So, thank you again for my first Beantown Camp experience. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, had lots of fun and look forward to returning next year.

Mary Santoro

Medford, MA

Congratulations on producing yet another great Beantown Camp!

John Paquette

Framingham, MA

Tony and Aurelie, thanks so much for another awesome Beantown camp. I was looking forward all year to coming back in 2008 and Beantown definitely delivered for me. The DJ’s were great, the live bands fantastic, and all the students and staff and everyone had such a positive energy!! It really made for a great camp and some great memories. Thanks again guys!

Ben Yau

South Pasadena, CA

This was my first year at Beantown as well as my first “camp.” I thought it was wonderful through and through. I am SO happy I decided to come and that I decided to stay for the entire week. I felt I made a lot of new contacts of people in the Boston Swing Network as well as swing networks all over the US and in other parts of the world…Again thanks so much for a wonderful week of Swing dancing!! I truly can’t wait until next year!!

Jana Poukka

Boston, MA

Thanks for all your hard work which made 2008 another fantastic camp! Most of all, I just appreciate the opportunity to get away for a week, enjoy the (semi-) tranquility of the sea-side New England location, and be with people who have a common interest. Some things I liked….

Good (and entertaining) instructors,

The workshop schedule seemed more relaxed than previous years. I think that was just right for me.

The “class performance routines” is always a good idea. Gives a challenge for those goal oriented people.

I like the campus. The atmosphere is just right.

I like getting together with all the repeat campers.

Boilermakers are awesome! Thanks for bring them in!!

Opportunities to dance with the instructors.

The lead/follow balance seemed good.

Food selection was good.

Townhouse accommodation was great.

Number of days is just right for me.

Class size was good.

and much more

I really appreciate you guys organizing Beantown year after year. Beantown was a key starting point in my Lindy life. Beantown continues to be one of my favorite vacation opportunities. Thanks for all your hard work!

Steve Terry

Herndon, VA

I had a ball! It was the greatest!…A great, well-paced, exciting and fun weekend! I wish I could have stayed the whole week. Maybe next year.

Linda Roberts

Westford, MA

Overall, I really enjoyed my Beantown experience—I learned a lot, met a lot of really nice people, and had fun pretending I was a college kid again. If I can make it work, I’d really like to go again next year and will recommend it to the dancers in my local scene…it was an awesome time and I look forward to doing it again soon! Thank you for all your hard work!

Walter Keeley

Connersville, IN

I had a wonderful time at Beantown this year. You and Tony do such a tremendous job of putting on the show!…With the beach and ocean so close to the school, I was able to get in a swim nearly every day, wow! That was refreshing…One of the things I liked the most about camp this year was the opportunity to do a mini track in something different.

Mike Colafrancesco

Acton, MA

Beantown is my favorite week of the year!

Mike Sasso

Andover, MA

Weekend camp has become one of the cornerstones of my summer and this year was no exception. Geralyn and I had a great time…Thanks for another great camp.

Michael Contri

Northboro, MA

Beantown was awesome. This year was my second year and my expectations from last year were far surpassed. Andrew Sutton was amazing addition to the camp instructors. My Birthday jam was amazing with Ramona, Peter and Ryan all coming into my jam circle. Absolute heaven for me.

Nicholas J. Birchak

Albany, NY

I found Beantown to be very enjoyable this year, and I hope to stay longer next summer. The instructors were all very amiable, dynamic, and superb teachers. I also found the live bands and DJ’s to be very fun. In particular, the competitions were inspiring, and great to watch. I hope to be able to participate in them next year…Thanks for a great time.

Lawrence Hwang

Tarrytown, NY

I’d like you to pass along my thanks to not only yourselves, but all the folks who helped with Beantown this year. My daughters, Emily, Maggie and I had a wonderful time and feel like we came away with much that was valuable. You guys have created something that is truly special. There is a warmth and good vibe about the camp, the classes, the dances that is no accident. The level of instruction was excellent. We took away something from every class we attended. The folks who came were friendly, fun to dance with and fun to get to know. The music was great—thanks to all the DJ’s. The camp was well organized with much thought given to the track levels and many other details. Every night, we had an amazing time dancing as there were many advanced dancers and they were friendly enough to enjoy dancing with those of us with less dance experience. My only regrets center around the fact we couldn’t take every class (some were at the same time and it was hard to choose!) and I wish we’d planned on being there the whole week.

Shirley Martin

Fort Worth, TX

Thanks for hosting such a wonderful dance camp! I am relatively new to the Lindy Hop though felt very welcome and met lots of very nice dancers. The instruction was first rate with a good amount of variation of styles and topics. Look forward to going again next year!

Roger Wood

Watertown, MA

This was my first Beantown Camp and I had the best dance-event time EVER (and I have traveled to well over 25 exchanges and camps all across the US in my 2 3/4 years of dance history.)…I was super impressed with the smooth logistics, the very friendly and accessible staff and SIMPLY EVERYTHING else. My biggest compliments to all of you and thank you for creating an event that doubtlessly will have been one of the funnest weeks of my life.

I am not sure exactly what and how it happened, there is some mystery to it, but when I came back from Beantown to my local turf I was told by so many dancers that my dancing had transformed. I honestly wasn’t even fully aware of it myself. Leads that have danced with me for over two years said that I feel more connected and a lot more fluid and follows told me that I look so much better, more relaxed and yet sharp on the floor. Whatever happened, it’s the fastest progression I have ever made in my 2 3/4 years of dancing and that while I had more fun than anywhere else, or maybe that’s exactly why it happened. I seriously still feel “home-sick” for Beantown and I will be back next year for sure!

Andra Dakota

Solana Beach, CA

My wife and I are still coming down from the excitement of the Beantown Camp. I was thoroughly impressed with the skill, dedication and enthusiasm especially of the instructors, but also for the Beantown staff. I cannot recall ever being around a more positive group of people…All in all, it was a great experience!

Robert Tartell

Houston, TX

THANKS for another wonderful camp. As always, I return well-fed, tired, inspired, and enthusiastic to move my dance forward. I know it’s a tremendous amount of work to organize a camp and you and Tony remain nose to the grindstone months before and throughout the week to make it a great experience for us. Thank you!

Betty Stone

Arlington, MA

This was my first camp and I was absolutely delighted—so much fun and I will be back next year! I enjoyed every minute and everything that was going on—I left happily exhausted!…The instructors were fantastic, selection of food excellent and accommodation—very comfortable. The evenings—dancing, talent night, the bands—super. The Performance night was amazing even though I was terrified taking part in it…An amazing experience!…and thank you so much for all the organizing…See you next year!

Judith Winstanley

Ontario, Canada

I felt so free! The camp experience, besides being wonderful fun as always, has made my dancing smoother, more relaxed, and more expressive. I have learned how to get much more out of even the simplest moves…Thanks for a truly wonderful week.

Ben Fox

Boston, MA

hanks for a fabulous time at Beantown. I really had a blast doing many of the things I love so much to do. I genuinely appreciate your hospitality, enthusiasm, talent, skill, perseverance, and the opportunity to be involved with such a great program. I have no doubt you are the Best in the USA—Truly, an Inter-Galactic-Class Act!

Jamie Norman

St. Petersburg, FL

Thank YOU for the BEST camp ever!!!…Once again a fantastic time! Thank you for all your hard work! See you next year—you are my favorite camp!

Debbie Moran

West Harrison, NY

How happy I was to be a part of camp again!!!! What a wonderful time!!!

Jodi Fleischman

Seattle, WA

I truly enjoyed my first Beantown Camp - it was outstanding. The accommodations were very good, the teaching was phenomenal, the bands, the DJing, the dancing were all “more than you can expect”…Thank you for putting this wonderful event together.

Louise Beauparlant

Ontario, Canada

Hi, thanks for a wonderful time, As a truly new beginner (never having danced a step in my life), I found it rather formidable at first but quickly felt at ease (even in frustrated by my lack of rhythm)! It was a fabulous time and I met lots of wonderful people…Again thanks for a phenomenal job of putting this camp together. My first year was a great one and I am sure to be back!

Linda Dawson

Chapel Hill, NC

Thanks for your hard work and a good week of dancing. I look forward to returning next year.

Aris Pikeas

Chicago, IL

Beantown is the one Lindy Hop camp that I keep coming back to. Tony and Aurelie Tye and their support staff have always worked very hard to make it a first rate experience. The instructors are world class, and the attention to detail that the organizers give shows in the food, location, activities, optional tracks, etc., and is truly remarkable. Finally, the attendees are always a fun and friendly group. A splendid time is practically guaranteed!

Morry El-Badry

Kittery, ME

Thanks for all the work that you put into Beantown. It’s a national resource for sharing and preserving Swing dancing.

Scott Rice

Ann Arbor, MI

Many thanks for a fantastic week at camp. It was my first Beantown experience and I had a wonderful time.

Deb Pelton

Bozeman, MT

I had a wonderful time at your Beantown camp. I feel sorry for the folks who couldn’t make it. The instructors were excellent, the food was excellent, the atmosphere was excellent. I was so sad to have to leave on Monday evening. The format of your camp allowed a careful balance of engagement and downtime for me. Thanks so much for all the effort you made to make this a positive experience for me.

Paula Markowitz

Ossining, NY

Everything at Beantown this year was great. Especially enjoyed the Sunday night venue at the Lodge. It really was a nice ending to the weekend…See you next year.

Judy Ambrosio

Morris Plains, NJ

I had a terrific time at Beantown Camp; it was friendly and fun and a great time all around!

Sarah Shoemaker

Watertown, MA

I want to thank you and Tony so much for another fabulous dance camp. I continue to be amazed at all that you do to put on this great event. People come from all over the world. I met so many interesting people and learned so much from the many great instructors. Thank you, thank you.

Catherine Crocket

Plymouth, MA

Thank you so much for camp. I had a great time. I wish I had stayed for the Whole Shebang. I am hoping to attend the whole camp next year. The location is great, the accommodations are great, the food is great, the other attendees were great to dance with and spend time with. The teachers were great. The performances were great.

Sami Pincus

Burlington, VT

I want to thank you so much for making this happen. The trip was a present from my parents for my college graduation, and a wonderful one at that! It was such a fantastic experience. On the way home, my friend and I swore to come back year after year because we had so much fun and learned SO much. Thank you again!

Cindy Wooldridge

St. Charles, MO

On the whole, it was very well organized, and I had a blast! Great job, and I hope I can come back next year!

Klaudia Siczek

Warsaw, Poland

Thanks again to you guys for running the event. It really was a fabulous time, everything from the delicious cafeteria food to the awesome live music and the outdoor barbecue, and the all around feel of the camp.

Todd Yannacone

San Francisco, CA

Thanks for another great Beantown this year! I count myself lucky to be able to attend. Thank you for making it happen! Beantown is the crème de la crème of dance camps!

Thank you to both of you, for all of your hard work. Beantown camp has such a community spirit about it that I just love! It is truly a unique experience. I hope you can continue to bring this great dance experience to all of us.

Julie Kuberski

Minneapolis, MN

I just wanted to say that I had a great week. I think you ran a well organized, fun, casual & social event. I would highly recommend this to other dancers. Thanks!

Lori Torkkola

Blaine, MN

This was my first time at Beantown Camp and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I’m looking forward to next year’s Camp! The instructors were terrific and very accessible. I found that they really were there to help us learn and not to push a particular set of routines. I was very impressed with their professionalism and friendliness—and patience.

The other participants were fun, friendly, and interesting people. Talking, dancing and sharing with others who embraced a common passion was eye-opening and empowering.

The accommodations were comfortable and the varied food selection and high quality was outstanding, far better than I would have imagined. You folks did a great job, Thank you for all your hard work.

Tom Wall

Nashua, NH

I just wanted to thank you again for all of your hard work and dedication. This vacation was a wonderful experience. I am telling all the people I social dance with that they really should go to Beantown. :))))

Linda Iannetta

Cumberland, RI

This past camp was the best one ever for me, and that is saying a whole lot. The joy of dancing and of life was abundant everywhere. For me the highlight came at 3:00 AM on the final night, when exhaustion took away all my technique, leaving simply a man, a woman, and the music.

Ben Fox

Boston, MA

This was my first Beantown and I loved it! World Class instruction, great dancers, and great atmosphere. Dance from dusk till dawn. Very impressed by the entire Beantown experience.

Nick Birchak

Albany, NY

I LOVED Beantown Camp. I CAN’T wait to come back…and hopefully participate in more events like this. : )- Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such wonderful hosts.

Eliza Alderman

Greenville, SC

I know I got the chance to thank Aurelie personally, but I want to thank you both again for every single bit of hard work and planning you did to provide such an AWESOME dance camp experience for me… Thank you again for such an awesome setting, a fabulous camp experience, and especially, such GREAT instructors! I truly appreciate all your hard work and commitment and hope to see you again next year.

Linda Guild

Eureka, CA

Thank you both for a wonderful camp experience. It was fantastic.

Soha Hassoun

Lexington, MA

I talked to soooo many people, lots of them brand new, that can’t wait to come back next year. I also can’t wait and I now have a wonderful connection to the Endicott College campus. I think Endicott has taken Wheaton College’s place in my heart… I’ve already been telling people about what a fantastic time I had. I can’t shut up about it. Rest assured, that when camp registration time comes around, I’ll be doing commercials for you!

Ellen Shapiro

Cambridge, MA

I hope everything went smoothly this year, and I’m glad that I was able to take part in it! I had an amazing time, and I’m looking forward to next year already! Thanks again!

Evn Tomeny

Newton Centre, MA

Thank you for all the work that you two do to make Beantown something so special. It was truly wonderful this year! I keep talking this up to everyone I meet.

Liz Crawford

Plymouth, MA

Thank you both for arranging the camp! I am sure it is a monumental effort!

Kathy Stokes

New York, NY

I want to say thanks for another great weekend. I don’t know how you did it but the weather was amazing, as were the instructors, food, band etc.

Sandy Burstein

Hoboken, NJ

As a first time camper, I send my thanks for an exceptional experience. I plan to be back!

Julie Bishop

Ontario, Canada

And thank YOU for this wonderful camp every year!!!

Debbie Moran

West Harrison, NY

This was definitely my best year ever at Beantown. As a nine year repeat offender, I’ve had a lot to compare.

Congratulations on such a great job this year! You guys never cease to surprise me with your process improvements year-to-year.

Darra Garrison

Acton, MA

Thank you! As a first-timer, it was awesome! I hope to be back.

Christina Evans

Ontario, Canada

And a supercalifragilisticexpialidociously big thanks to the two of you for putting on such a spectacular event. Jennifer Coulombe told me that going to Beantown was going to be life changing, and she was absolutely right. How great is that?!

Barbara Haynes

Winston-Salem, NC

I had so much fun, definitely one of my best dancing weekend so far… Already, I can’t wait for next year!

Marc-André Vachon

Providence, RI

I just completed my first Beantown camp experience. It was a blast and I want more! Thank you so much for all of your hard work. What you put together was incredible!

Judy Vunk

Edgartown, MA

Thanks again for putting together such a great great camp!

Jeff Corsi

Hoboken, NJ

I still feel like in dancer’s heaven—dead but happy!! We enjoyed your camp very much, we took some stuff from it for our dancing and we would love to come back next year.

Harald Garttner & Katrin Kerber

Unterhaching, Germany

First, I just want to thank you for all the hard work you put into making Beantown 2007 the spectacular event it was. I can confidently say that it was my favorite Beantown since I started coming in 2005.

Brent Casavant

South Saint Paul, MN

Hey, my first Beantown camp was great! Had a good time, ate good food, and the classes were great as well. Good job!

Oliver Peters

Rocky Hill, CT

I had a fantastic time at Beantown Camp and feel I learned a lot. The people were great, food was delicious, accommodations terrific. It was a fun time.

Again, congratulations for Beantown Camp—truly a job well done. You are outstanding organizers!

Mary Klatt

Brookline, MA

All in all, from the food in the cafeteria, the teachers, the DJ, the music, Beantown was AWESOME!! Everyone just seemed to be having a positive, fun attitude and really wanting to learn and dance.

Bryna Gesson

Arlington, MA

Thanks and I had an absolutely fantastic time this year! It was well worth it and I have told all my friends in Dallas that they need to join me next year.

Sean Pohl

Dallas, TX

I must say that this is the first time my wife and I attended Beantown and that it exceeded any expectations we had. It was incredibly well run and the classes were well structured. We are looking forward to next year.

Nancy & Jerry Flood

Belmar, NJ

Just wanted to say thanks for putting on Beantown. That was just so much fun (and I learned some very helpful stuff too)!!

Laurie Pearlstein

Cambridge, MA

This was my first time at Beantown, and it was a lovely experience! The classes were really good, and both the djs and the band were fantastic. I regret that I could only do the weekend—next year, I will hopefully be able to stay a bit longer. Thanks again for putting on such a wonderful event.

Cyndy Kornegay

Silver Spring, MD

Thank you for a wonderful dance experience at Beantown Camp. It exceeded all my expectations!

Denise Malenfant

Taunton, MA

Overall a great weekend!! I had a great time. This was my 3rd Beantown, and I think it was the best one yet.. Thank you for putting in all the time and effort to make a week like Beantown possible.

Aaron Nicholas

Woodbine, MD

Thanks for putting this on. I know it’s a lot of work but a great time. Would not miss it.

Larry Bruns

Acton, MA

First of all I’d like to thank both of you for a job done so marvelously! I had a great time and enjoyed the whole experience. Everything was executed very professionally and very pleasantly. And the instructors were oh so marvelous! Rather than going one by one I’d rather tell you how every aspect of the camp delighted me. Speaking of the delight—the food—so yummy and healthy! Thank you again.